Stalking Susan

Riley Spartz #1

by Julie Kramer

Inside the desperate world of TV news, a reporter discovers a serial killer is targeting women named Susan.

Riley Spartz is recovering from a heartbreaking, headline-making catastrophe of her own when a Minneapolis police source drops two homicide files in her lap.

Both cold cases involve women named Susan strangled on the same day, one year apart. Riley sees a pattern between those murders and others pulled from old death records. As the deadly anniversary approaches, she stages a bold on-air stunt to draw the killer out and uncover a motive that will leave readers breathless.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Book Club, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook, Thriller

306 pages, Hardcover

First published July 15, 2008

About the author

Julie Kramer has moved from journalist to novelist. She writes a mystery series set in the desperate world of television news—a world she knows well from her career working as a freelance news producer for NBC and CBS, as well as running the acclaimed WCCO-TV I-Team in Minneapolis.

Her thrillers, STALKING SUSAN, MISSING MARK, SILENCING SAM, KILLING KATE, SHUNNING SARAH and soon to come - DELIVERING DEATH (January 7) - take readers inside how newsrooms make decisions amid chaos. She's won the Minnesota Book Award and the RT Book Review's Best First Mystery. She has also been a finalist for the Anthony, Barry, Shamus, Mary Higgins Clark, Daphne du Maurier, and RT Best Amateur Sleuth Awards.

Julie grew up along the Minnesota-Iowa state line, fourth generation of a family who raised cattle and farmed corn for more than 130 years. Her favorite childhood days were spent waiting for the bookmobile to bring her another Phyllis A. Whitney novel. An avid reader, she tired of fictional TV reporters always being portrayed as obnoxious secondary characters who could be killed off whenever the plot started dragging, so her series features reporter Riley Spartz as heroine.

Julie lives with her family in White Bear Lake, MN.

Reviews

[Greta Samuelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riley Spartz is an investigative journalist for Minneapolis Channel 3 news.
Her new boss is not her biggest fan and she needs a break for November sweeps.

A friend of hers who used to be in law enforcement floats her some info about murders that may be connected but were all “solved” as having different killers. Interestingly, all of the victims were named Susan and all were killed on different years but on the same day in November.

This could have been so much better but there were 2 elements that made me give this book 3 stars. The first is the MC. Julie Kramer tries to show you her personal side but she never struck me as a person that would be anything more than slightly annoying to me. The 2nd reason is that there is just way to much “telling” instead of “showing” in this one. This type of writing tends to drag on a bit for me. Let me be the one to put the pieces together!

I wouldn’t be opposed to trying another book by Kramer but I’m not clamoring for another dose of Riley Spartz.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of author Julie Kramer, but man! What a page-turner she’s written!

Being a TV reporter for Minneapolis’ Channel 3, Riley Spartz knows that, at 36, she’s lucky to look younger. Even so, Riley’s at a slump at work when a police pal points her to a series of rape/strangulations involving victims named Susan. Each happened on the same date Nov. 19. A serial killer? Riley and her cop whistleblower suspect it, and we readers are lucky enough to be along for the rollercoaster ride. Stayed up too late because I could not put it down.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started somewhere in the middle of the Riley Spartz series - so needed to finally start from the beginning. Glad I did! It's so fun reading a book set in Minneapolis. I had my suspicions about the killer near the end (not that I could prove it), but came out great anyway. Very exciting! A quick, recommended read.

Remember, we work for God.

Call me Aunt Santa.

One person's nosy neighbor is another's guardian angel.

You don't declare friendship, friendship just happens.

Criminal insanity is and should be a rare diagnosis.

Society frowns on picking the time and manner of one's death. We call it suicide.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed this book. I had been listening to it on car rides to/from work...drove extra slow home to listen to as much as possible before pulling in the driveway tonight. Was sooo happy I had the actual book as well to rip through the last 20 pages. Great story line, kept you guessing and interested in the finish. I've already read the first 2 chapters of Julie Kramer's next book, Missing Mark

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun debut! Riley Spartz is a fast-talking, story-chasing, determined reporter. She’s got spunk, but she’s also carrying some deep scars – specifically, the death of her husband.

At the beginning of this novel, Riley’s police contact gives her a file on the deaths of two women named Susan, who each died by strangulation on the same day, a year apart. Riley is on the case, because she wants to make it the lead piece of November news sweeps; add to that investigation a feature about a lying veterinarian, and our heroine has her hands full!

Kramer packs this book with insider information on the ways the news world functions, and it’s not always pretty. This is a great, light read, reminiscent of Janet Evanovich but with a heroine who has a bit more know-how. The second book in the series was released in 2009, and the third is due out this summer. I will be reading both.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book back in March, and it is now December. Ah, yes...it was winter then, and it is winter now. I live in southeastern Minnesota and spent thirty years in the Minneapolis area, so it was wonderful reading about a Twin Cities television reporter.

Riley Spartz is an investigative reporter returning to work after a personal leave that she needed because her husband had died tragically. She immediately finds herself up to her eyeballs in not one, but two stories. One is about a veterinarian who seems to be up to no good, and the other concerns the murders of two women who are both coincidentally (?) named Susan and who are killed on November 19, exactly one year apart. The investigations go back and forth from one story to the other. Riley, who normally butts heads with her boss, has an ally when she covers the dog cremation story. She has more trouble selling the Susan story, which she doggedly pursues until…well, no spoilers. Stay tuned for news at 10:00.

I found this to be an enjoyable first book. The characters were rather one-dimensional, but I think they show promise. I found Riley to be a bit glib, but perhaps she was wearing protective armor due to her recent loss. Or maybe that’s just who she is. I did have a pretty good idea who the killer was fairly early on, but I was curious about the dog story. I am a big of a softie when it comes to four-legged creatures too.

I know that part of the appeal was the Minnesota connection. I am not sure if anyone who has never been to the Midwest would find this book amusing, but even though it is not a perfect thriller, there is enough here to like to make me want to read more by Julie Kramer.

3 stars

[Laurel Bradshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the hype for this book was a little optimistic. I did not find it "dazzling", "chilling", or even particularly suspenceful. It mixes elements of a procedural mystery with some romantic suspence. There is humor mixed into the darker elements. I wouldn't call this a "cozy" but it was a nice, light, fast-paced read. The characters are moderately appealing, and Twin Citians will enjoy the "insider" knowledge of the area, and details of local events like the collapse of the I35 bridge. The author is a former news reporter, which leant a great deal of authenticity to her main character, but I found all the insider TV stuff a bit distracting. I guess the story is more character-driven than mystery-driven. It will be interesting to see what my book club has to say about it.

Description:
Inside the desperate world of TV news, a reporter discovers a serial killer is targeting women named Susan. Riley Spartz is recovering from a heartbreaking, headline-making catastrophe of her own when a Minneapolis police source drops two homicide files in her lap. Both cold cases involve women named Susan strangled on the same day, one year apart. Riley sees a pattern between those murders and others pulled from old death records. As the deadly anniversary approaches, she stages a bold on-air stunt to draw the killer out and uncover a motive that will leave readers breathless.

Series info:
Riley Spartz series
1. Stalking Susan - read
-------------------------
2. Missing Mark
3. Silencing Sam
4. Killing Kate
5. Shunning Sarah

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

TV reporter Riley Spartz is looking for a big sweeps story and may have found it when an informer, Nick Garnett, feeds her some cold case information about two seemingly unrelated murders, save for their names, Susan. Using a station computer geek, Riley discovers another Susan death, and the methods seem similar. These cold cases are over a decade old, but the families she interviews remember the details, good and bad, like it was yesterday. Has Riley manufactured a story out of nothing or is there really someone stalking women named Susan in some sort of revenge-type serial killing spree?
I expected more from this novel and enjoy supporting MN authors, but Kramer's narrative voice in Riley was somewhat annoying, moreso in the beginning of the novel. The book picked up in the latter half, and as always, info on local Twin Cities landmarks and attractions are interesting. I would recommend Monkeewrench and it's following novels by mother/daughter duo P.J. Tracy if you are looking for some gritty, MN mysteries.

[Rhonda Siebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4⭐️. I picked this book up in Minneapolis at a cute little mystery book store while visiting my daughter. I loved reading about some of the areas and places we have visited. The story was entertaining but not “too” suspenseful. I had suspicions on the offender but was still unsure until the end. I will probably read more from this series.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julie Kramer's first novel, "Stalking Susan" doesn't strive to break any new ground in the realm of mystery/thrillers. Then again, it doesn't really need to thanks to her first-person narrator, Riley Sparkz.

Riley is an investigative journalist for channel 3 in Minnesota. Riley's returning to work after a three-month personal leave and finds two stories dropped into her lap. One is about a vet who is charging grieving pet owners for cremation services that he's not delivering and the other involves a mysterious wave of murders of females named Susan on November 19th of each year.

"Stalking Susan" ably juggles both plotlines and some stories about Riley's co-workers and personal life with deft ease. The mysteries here aren't challenging or elaborate, but they don't need to be. The story is a fun, breezy character driven thriller that's ideal for as chewing gum for the brain or to read while relaxing in the summer sun.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riley Spartz is a television reporter on Channel 3 in Minnesota. After returning to work from a leave of absense that resulted from her feelings that her actions led to her husband's death in a fire, she needs new stories to keep her job. She is handed two tips on two potential stories - a tip from an ex cop about the deaths of two women named Susan on the same day years before -- which might be the work of a serial killer except no one believes it and a tip from a dog owner that the ashes of his cremated dog do not look like the ashes of a former dog. The novel follows Riley Spartz as she investigates both cases and breaks both stories on the news. This first novel and first person narrative is pretty engrossing as is how Spartz tries to solve the Susan crimes, and the insight into the tv business seem very real to me. Not just another serial killer novel, this one is very good.

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the debut mystery and I was quite pleased with it. However, my one complaint is that at times (and especially in the beginning) I felt the narrator talked down to the reader. At times the narrator over explained things that a mystery buff (or even a regular watcher of CSI) would know and this slowed down the narrative pacing). On the author hand, the author is a freelance television producer and certainly knows her subject and I was impressed with the details and things I learned about a news station.

Overall a promising debut. and I wonder if Riley is going to become a series character. I certainly would like to read about another adventure of hers.

[Paulette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery by MN author. First book Former WCCO investigative reporter. So far VERY engaging.

A winner! Interesting characters. Tricky plot. Not too much blood.
It's told in the first person--newspaper investigative reporter, Riley. A cop friend gives her a tip about cold case murders that might be linked (same date, different years, same name, SUSAN).

[Sue Wargo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a typical chic book and was mistaken. The character is sharp and found the crime mystery a pleasant surprise. Looking forward to read the next 2 in the series.

[Michael W. Boleware · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever but not pretentious... A smart enjoyable read.

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up while in Minneapolis because the action takes place there. I'm not a big reader of the crime genre. This is a beautiful, well crafter classical crime novel.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite new series. Julie Kramer has hit the mark with a kicky main character, solid supporting cast, and suspenseful mystery. Not necessarily suspenseful in the sense that the bad guy is a surprise, but suspenseful in the sense that there are unexpected twists and turns along the way. I enjoyed her camaraderie with ex-policeman Garnett, but was a little disappointed that their relationship took the predictable "I like you, don’t you like me too?" turn. I liked the behind-the-scenes look into TV news and all its politics and back-stabbing, and thought it gave us a fresh perspective on the usual "amateur detective" story. I listened to this on audio, and thought the narrator, Bernadette Dunne, did a great job. I often have problems listening to books with female narrators (it seems there’s a much higher chance of me finding their voices grating), but no such problems here. I’ve already put the next two books in the series on my wish list.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

love the book!

[William Wehrmacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was reading the Monkeewrench mysteries and was between availability, so my librarian recommended Stalking Susan, because it was a good mystery and written by an author with Minnesota ties. Julie Kramer is a TV writer, producer, investigator as is her protagonist Riley Spartz. A retired police detective Lou Garnett brings her a couple of police files about unsolved murders of young women named Susan.

Along the way to solving the crimes, and nearly getting herself killed in the process, she is forced to undertake a 'fluff piece' about potential fraud based on cremating pets, the resolution is also life threatening, but telling would be spoiling.

I did find the book sort of slow moving at the beginning, but I suspect that was done to mimic the matter-of-fact attitude Riley shows as the clues arrive. I was a little surprised by how many of the color references to real events I knew about, having lived in the twin cities for the past forty years. All in all, the first hundred pages, or so, reminded me of the "Just the Facts Mam" cadence portrayed in the 1951 Dragnet TV series.

With that said, Ms. Kramer has produced a book with interesting characters and more twists and turns than a water park slide. I can highly recommend it for those who enjoy a good mystery.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riley Spartz is a television reporter who really needs a a good story to get back on her game. A former informant, who happened to be a cop, drops one in her lap. Women with the name of Susan are being murdered on November 19th. There are only two or three that the cop has found but still. Riley decides to investigate and gets way more than she bargained for. This is Kramer's first novel so there is a lot of character building which slows down the action. The action is great. Kramer has terrific timing and description. The story itself was good but not necessarily as compelling as she intended because she was missing to many of the murdered victims. What was ultimately both funny and compelling was the side story Riley's managing producer pushed her into which was a pet cremation/veterinarian scam which was interesting, action packed, well paced and had a solid resolve. Nevertheless, this was worth reading. The second book is already on my TBR pile.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

This is written similarly to a police procedural which is a different take on a standard formula b/c Riley is a reporter.
So like a procedural story, this one breaks down all the parts of how an investigative reporter does the job. (ie. explaining various terms, people & going in order on a story, backstage/ground on the newsroom environment, etc.)

The mystery element was good. It kept me guessing and trying to solve along w/the protagonist.

It was on suggested lists for “humorous, entertaining mystery series”. I didn’t think it was funny but it was enjoyable.

The negative is that there was a tiny detail which was a clue that I felt was obvious yet Riley didn’t catch it sooner.
And I did figure it out but it took a while before the narrative revealed “the suspects”.

Overall, it was smartly written & not heavy but not the lightweight read I was expecting.

I will continue with this series.

I’d recommend it to people who like Lisa Scottoline.

[Kara Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in preparation for attending an author event at our local library. Today I was able to meet this author and four other MN mystery authors as part of a panel discussion. Although I wasn’t able to finish this book before the event, I liked it and the main character enough to buy Ms. Kramer’s most recent book and borrow others from the library. Part of the attraction is that I’m Minnesotan, so the settings and historical events, etc. are familiar to me.. the author kept me guessing far enough into the book to keep me reading, and if one didn’t want to keep reading to find the answer to the mystery, one might to find out who survived and how any romantic elements played out. There’s enough humor thrown into keep it from being too dark. The movie quote game between the two main characters was a fun touch.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written subtly in the fashion of Riley Spartz sitting down and giving an exclusive interview (so that the addressing the reader, mentioning of future events, and hiding of information until a later date all are logical), Stalking Susan is full of red herrings, hidden clues, and side characters with more than just a dash of caricature, spinning into a fairly fair-play mystery that's just as fun and interesting when you figure out "whodunnit" as it is before.

Most impressively for a debut, Kramer allows her heroine to be wrong — and completely wrong with horrible consequences, to boot — to serve the story and to show us that mistakes can be just as useful as clues when solving a crime.

[M. Sprouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started with book #3 of the series and it was good, but nothing to crow about. So I decided to read the first in the series before possibly giving up. After all, so many really good books, so little time. This novel was much better, it was not as silly, with more suspense. Sure it had humor, but in a way that was quaintly self-deprecating for the heroine. "Stalking Susan" was hard to put down and I stayed up late on a couple of nights because I couldn't put it down. The mystery itself wasn't very difficult even though you didn't know for sure until late in the book. Next will be book #2, "Missing Mark," hopefully that will measure up.

[Jovdb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riley Spartz is a TV reporter overcoming her grief for her dead cop husband. Returning to work, her cop source gives her a lead to the death of a woman called “Susan”.

After some investigation, Riley connects this death with other “Susan” deaths, all occurring on November 19th. Also, she works on a story about a dishonest vet scamming his clients and a pedophile handing out candy to kids on Halloween.

An interesting, if predictable ending.

Riley is a quirky, feisty, character and it will be interesting to see if she developes as the series progresses.

[Khanson919 · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great start to a new series. I haven't read a book set in the world of TV news in a long time, and it i a very good setting for a mystery. Riley Spartz is a TV news reporter who is given a couple of cold cases to investigate. She realizes that there is a serial killer killing woman named Susan on the same day in different years. While doing that, she also investigates a shady veterinarian. She is a fun character with an interesting back story and I really enjoyed how she investigated both cases.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an OK book. The first was slow reading and I almost gave up reading it - but I kept going and the last 1/4 was a don't put it down. Riley works for Channel 3 news and has found an interesting item to follow - Susan's killed on 11/19. She starts getting into it and her manager over her dept sends her on another story - following up on a vet inquiry about cremation. The ending is very indepth and you have to keep reading to find out who the killer is and what happens to the vet.

[Sandra Small · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Thrilling Ride!!

Ms Kramer does not disappoint in this excellent murder mystery! I read it in 2 days, even while walking my dog! The characters are in depth and believable. Ms Kramer writes succinctly and vividly and my being from Mpls, I knew exactly where each scene took place. I had no idea who the murderer was until the very end. I look forward to reading more! Bravo Ms Kramer!!

[Marissa Morrison]

Kramer adds unnecessary details about minor characters, like what's their favorite candy. She casually gives away the ending to an Agatha Christie novel. The protagonist is told from the get to look out for a certain kind of person, but when she meets that certain kind of person she doesn't suspect him in the least.

I bowed out after Kramer described a character as being cute in a Ted Bundy kind of way.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun "going back" to Minneapolis. While I usually find non-cops solving crimes to be annoying, Riley's job as an investigative journalist makes it work. Toby and his menagerie are fun, and of course I love Shep to pieces. Riley gets a tip from a cop friend who turns her on to a cold case of someone who seems to be murdering women named Susan every year on November 19. Her other investigation involves a pet cremation fraud.